Prices are relatively the same at all the big chains (Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix, Rexall, etc.). Smaller/independent pharmacies may charge a higher markup, and Costco is significantly cheaper. Either way prices will be similar no matter where you walk into, we are talking differences of $10 to $30 at most.
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I go to Costco in either Windsor CA or Vancouver CA twice a year to get insulin. I donāt have a Costco membership.
Before I go, I have a friend with a Costco membership send me a Costco Gift/Cash Card online. The card arrives directly at my house through the mail, and I have to activate it with MY phone. I use the card to enter Costco, and at the cash register, a manager has to come and stick their key in so I can pay the difference between my cash card and purchase total with my debit card.
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Actually, not long ago a guy in his mid 20s DIED! because he could not afford his insulin. He did not tell his parents he was having a problem affording his insulin. I am sure they would have helped, had they known.
Price of medications in the U$A is absurd!. Someone on another D site went to Tijuana Mexico and bought $100 worth there, that would have co$t himā¦
ā¦ hold on 2 Ur walletsā¦ 1,400 dollars in the U state where that insulin was madeā¦go figure???
PS this editor is changing my words when it posts! The dollar sign got dropped here, and WHITE was changed to with? (I think it was) WHAT GIVES?
Gomer
There is no editor on the site, so any editing software would be in your browser. All we do is put dots over bad words like ā ā ā ā .
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Hello
Ive switched from Novolog 70/30FlexPen.to Novolin 70/30 FlexPen I could not afford the 762.00 for 5 boxes. I searched and comparedā¦I found WalMart!!! Yes WalMartā¦5 boxes for 210.00!!! Guess where I go. Novolin is considered an OFF brandā¦go figure. But I thought Id share. Friends if we whine and moan and B**** enoughā¦we can get to big Pharma. I mean what gives them the right to make the life or death choice for millions??? Can we not find a diabetic lawyer who will start a class action suit against the badboy companies. Bernie Sanders is on board. There has to be some law in place that we can use to save ourselves our families. Its worth a try. After all it is a matter of quality of life. Thank you all for reading my rant. Im just frustrated.
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Welcome to our community @Mary66. While not sure that passing a law is in the cards with the current Congress, we have had many discussions about this on our board. A few you might find enlightening are linked below:
Enjoy!
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Thank You Chris.
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No problem @Mary66. Say, you are on a pretty old combination of insulin how has that been working, and have you been on the newer faster insulins? Or is the 70/30 pens working fine for you. I am assuming with the complications that you may have trouble now or had trouble in the past maintaining non-diabetic blood sugars.
Ive been on this insulin for a couple years chris.
I have reverse reactionsā¦when my sugar is under 140ā¦I get dizzy, the sweats, blurred vision, nauseaā¦its awful. This one Dr. Took me aside and did testing. He said I have to keep my sugar UNDER 200. That I can eat anything I want in moderation. I use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. I drink 6 8 12 oz bottles of water daily. I dont drink pop or sweet drinks. I tried using sugar substitutes but the after taste is awful and my stomach gets sourā¦my a1c is 5.
Could be lower 5 isnt bad. Any suggestions???
I can make my sugar drop fastā¦its scary.
No, an A1c of 5 is fantastic. My son is a teenage type 1, so a 5 would result in popping champagne and eating cake every day. It sounds like that combination of insulin is working well for you. I also agree that most of the sugar substitutes taste like crap. When we make desserts now we just severely reduce how much sugar we use, but almost always end up with something that tastes good and doesnāt have too many carbs. If your eating plan and insulin is working for you, fantastic.
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Thanks Chris!! Appreciate you. And I appreciate what your son has to do. Its got to be worse as a teen when your surrounded by āSugarā powered everything. Starbucks frappachino has
Readyā¦49 grams of sugar in one large container!!! Really.
I said to my friends I wish we could open a restaurant/deliā¦called Diabetic Decadence!!
Great food and desserts that look great but are healthy. Ahhhhh just need to win the lotto.
Take Careā¦
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HI Mary - Iām a type 1 using Humulin 70/30 the last year and doing pretty good. My A1C is 6.0 or less. The reason I use the āold stuffā human insulin NPH is that I ran into an issue with the lack of access to decent medical care here in south Texas which scared the hell out of me so I did whatever it took to research what was available with or without prescription and force it to work. Itās scary as hell to need a medication or you die that requires a doctor, a competent staff to call it in on time, and that whole pesky āCan I afford this?ā. None of those things are guaranteed even living here in the U.S. which is crazy. Patients are finally rising up, taking more control, and demanding change and although I donāt agree with the current bill in the Senate (?) forcing big Pharma on a price ceiling - there HAS TO be change in the supply chain somewhere so insulin is available and thereās competition to make it cheaper. Iām not a fan of the ADA but Iām on the ADAās advocate emails so there has definitely been more emails coming out and more Congressional hearings and livestream links which while it sounds super boring - itās not - and itās important to know what Big Pharma and the Pharmacy Benefit Managers are telling Congress on why insulin costs so much. We as patients need to keep applying this pressure.
The only reason I do Humulin vs Novolin is that I like the kwikpens through insurance vs using vials through buying OTC at Walmart (which I hate although that might change). I do have Mexico less than 3 hours away of which I can buy kwikpens for about the same or cheaper than through prescription insurance now.
I am also on a very low carb diet (Dr Bernstein changed everything for me although I am not fully on his insulin regiment but do follow pretty much everything else) which has given me much more control on the blood sugar swings and the use of regular/non-fast acting insulins which hit me way too fast living off protein and vegetables. It really depends on your diet.
Beth
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I just had an airbnb guest who is a chef make me āketoā pecan pralines. I havenāt touched a donut, cake, anything for a year and lost my taste for them but had this stack of pralines without anything happening to my blood sugar. The recipes are out there. I follow āLet me be 83 - my dude with diabetesā Facebook page and this mom talks about having her kid regularly be under 5.0 A1C and very low carb recipes. Iām not much of a chef but I plan on trying out plenty of these recipes when I have time.
Beth
Thanks for the info. Sounds great!
Kept your text because its so interesting!
I stayed with the Novalin 70 30 because at Walmart(ick) I can get 5 boxes which is 50 pens for 174.02. Which is a big savings and there really wasnt any brand cheaper. Big Pharma is just going to have to be dealt with. Bernie Sanders is fighting for us. In fact hes going to canada on a bus trip for insulin. Bless him. We need the publicity. Hope your feeling well. Im looking at the recipies you suggested. My chinese friend said Her grandfather mixes baking soda lemon juice and a small amount of coca cola for his diabetes every night. He swears by it and hes in great health at 93 with a 5.0ā¦hmmmm
take care MaryAnn
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Sorry it takes me so long to answer
Well now that makes two new things I hadnāt heard before in a day on how to manage diabetes. I personally, canāt imagine this having anything other than a placebo effect, but if they are managing their A1c to a 5 and it is working for them, good for them.
I know chrisā¦I cant see that mixtureā¦I gag at the thoughtā¦lol I think shes pullin my leg to see if Ill try itā¦Ill stick to exercise and eating right.
Have a great ālowā day!
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But how are his teeth? 
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Lolā¦I dont knowā¦and Im not going to china to check em out